We've mentioned the NFL's rookie wage scale a few times, and how draft picks are signing significantly earlier than previous years. The Kansas City Chiefs, for example, already have seven of their eight draft picks signed (with Dontari Poe still to go).
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tweeted this out, which shows just how quickly these draft picks are signing:
Drafted players signed thru last night: 147. Thru May of 2010? 13. May of 2009? 11. 2008? 7. 2007? 25. 2006? 2. 2005? 4.
Wow. That's incredible.
When I was on 610 Sports earlier this week, Carrington Harrison said he kind of missed the drama that came with the first round picks signing right around the start of training camp. I remember driving up to St. Joe for training camp two years ago and seeing a text that Eric Berry had signed and was on his way to St. Joe. I zipped down I-29 hoping to see Berry driving to St. Joe. That was a little exciting but in the end I think it's a far better situation now, with the players signing early, than the way it used to work with first round holdouts being a common thing.